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BREADCRUMBS

Someone suggested that I leave a trail of breadcrumbs to find my way back out of the Cummings Center the other day.

This is me leaving breadcrumbs for the next person trying to understand Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras:

Life is mathematical.

Here’s how it works:

The centerline represents zero; everything to the left of the centerline is negative; everything to the right of the centerline is positive.

Our universe is similarly bipolar. Everything we can sense, including our own body/mind, is a unique manifestation of positively and negatively charged sub-atomic particles. The East refers to these two elemental “states of matter” as Yin and Yang. Patanjali refers to them as Rajas and Tamas. Lucas called them the Light and Dark forces.

The image of a circling tiger and dragon is commonly used to represent those two constantly moving energetic states of matter. Love it!! The oppositional polarity keeps them on the move, giving rise to the “hunger” (the fears and desires) within each of us.

Back to the graph above, half of the world’s population is generally positive. A very small subset of positive people are extremely so, though most fall within a “normal” range.

Same on the other side of the elusive perfectly balanced middle line: half of the world’s population is generally negative. A very small subset [thankfully] of negative people are extremely so.

In class this morning, Master Leone asked students why they practice and train. Here are their responses:

To:

  • avoid suffering
  • have fun
  • find tranquility
  • find love
  • find community
  • find peace of mind
  • reduce pain

The keys to smiling more for ALL of us are self-awareness and self-control; specifically, never forgetting that consciousness is NOT a mental function!

Patanjali said:

1.12. Practice and non-attachment

1.13. Practice means NEVER giving up

1.14. By practicing continuously and earnestly over a long time, your efforts become habitual

1.15. Non-attachment means ALWAYS letting go (mastering desire)

1.16. With ultimate self-awareness, all attachments fall away

Master Leone said:

“It’s a constant struggle. It’s NEVER ‘Hey look Ma! No hands!’… EVERY MINUTE EVERY DAY.”

Blessings and gratitude, Skip

❤😊🕉

Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

#BringBackPatanjali

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OLD DOG LEARNS NEW TRICK [aka Cynthia’s Masterpiece]

I experienced Cynthia’s monster breakfast sandwich with the assistance of my sub-conscious mind: I saw, smelled, held, heard (yup – it spoke to me!) and ate the damned thing. And it was good.

The following I experienced with additional assistance from my conscious or thinking mind. I figured as long as I’m sharing one……..

Part of the requirements for the initial 100-hour Medical Qigong teacher certification are listening to Master Michael Leone’s lectures.

I posted something about Master Leone after meeting him last year. He’s a truly awesome human being. He’s tapped into something “other worldly” that I can only dream about experiencing.

Master Leone has been studying and practicing with a devotion that dwarfs mine – for some forty years – and it shows!

Reality check: part of today’s lecture made it all-too clear that I’m in the Fall of my life! Gulp.

 

This happened during this morning’s lecture:

A student asked Master Leone about the Medical QiGong protocol for a 22 year-old female exhibiting:

Anxiety

Depression

Autoimmune diseases including:

  • Celiac disease
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome
  • Allergies
  • Psoriasis
  • Fatty liver disease

I didn’t get to hear the detailed diagnosis/prescription part of the lecture because I’m a newbie, but I did learn that ALL those symptoms have a common cause:

Chronic Stress

 

Master Leone expressed what we all know intuitively: somewhere around our 18th birthday we wake up to the stark reality or weight of life: it’s responsibilities and impermanence.

And we each deal with that realization in a uniquely personal way based on the circumstances of our lives up to that point.

Those symptoms can literally become overwhelming as the mental and physical effects compound – and in today’s turbulent geopolitical, semi-virtual world, it’s getting worse – quickly.

Reach out and help someone. We’re all in this soup together.

We have the same incessant thinking pattern; we all have fears and desires, they just differ from person to person based on the unique circumstances of our lives.

Life is mathematical: half of us learn to cope with it better than the other half, and there are extremes at both ends – clearly.

Need help meditating? That’s why I’m here.

God bless, Skip

❤😊🕉

Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

#BringBackPatanjali

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KOSHAS: OUR ILLUSORY LAYERS [for yoga geeks]

Here’s a link to my favorite online resource on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – specifically to a section on the koshas – described therein as five lampshades covering our light: Swamij.com/Koshas.

I suggest that there’s a very direct correlation between the five koshas and the last six of Patanjali’s eight limbs: as we gain proficiency with a limb, we begin to experience a deeper, subtler aspect of our being:

Limb

Kosha
Postures Outer physical
Breathing Inner physical/energetic
Concentration Conscious mind
Meditation (3 levels) Sub-conscious mind (3 functions)

When we meditate, we sequentially transcend [from densest to subtlest energetically] three states of generally sub-conscious mind, evidenced by our (i) sensory processing, (ii) memory storage and (iii) sense of individuality.

Beyond that point we meditate without specific focus or obstruction, having come as close as physically/mentally possible to consciousness itself.

I skinny the eight limbs down to six: the four above plus the yamas & niyamas [the two most important based on prioritization and because they make up ~70% of the eight limbs!!].

I group the last three limbs together – not just because they’re very notably placed in a separate chapter in the Sutras – but because the physical/mental action associated with them (seated meditation) is identical.

While we sit and meditate, we descend three progressively subtle energetic densities of sub-conscious mind (each evidenced by a distinct mental function – and very different perspective!) – which takes a LONG time.

At the end of the day there’s no incorrect way to meditate – it just takes practice, and as Patanjali said, we’ll know it when we get there!

😊❤️🕉

Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

#BringBackPatanjali

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THE SCIENCE OF MIND CONTROL

I teach the science of mind control: Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

MEDITATION:

as it was originally practiced!

developed by devout EMPIRICAL scientists – without Google!!!!!!

using just their bodies and minds!

MEDITATE – you can’t do it wrong!! But if you want to find TRUE inner peace please read a translation (or two or three!) of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras!

If you want a place to start here are links to personal translations of the first half of Patanjali’s epic poem:

Chapter One – the science

Chapter Two – preparing to meditate

😊❤️🕉

Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

#BringBackPatanjali

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WHAT DOES CONSCIOUSNESS HAVE TO DO WITH RELAXING? [Alternative title: Why is the Raja Yogi teaching Medical QiGong?]

Just because we’re not equipped to literally experience or fully comprehend consciousness – think about this:

Here’s how consciousness has been described since the dawn of our species:

  • Infinite – unaffected by space
  • Eternal – unaffected by time
  • Omnipresent – everywhere
  • Omnipotent – all-knowing
  • Omniscient – all-powerful
  • A balance between wisdom and curiosity
  • A balance between awareness and clarity
  • A balance between bliss and compassion

A source of courage, wisdom, serenity and faith – Patanjali

Infilling everything, pervading everywhere, impelling all – Amma

Tap into THAT PART OF YOU and experience what happens!

 

Relaxing? Yup.

Here’s how I experience it:  [remember, meditating is uniquely personal. It’s something you do for yourself – lovingly(!) – because like physical exercise, ONLY YOU CAN. Ironically, it works better when our intention is to better serve others!]

I find meditation relieving, reassuring and reaffirming in a loving, non-judgmental accepting sense. Sometimes it almost feels as if I’m being holistically embraced. I often reemerge from my sub-conscious journeys feeling subtly holistically energized!

Little picture: How we get our physical body and non-physical mind to relax sufficiently to enable that sense of holistic union or yoga doesn’t matter. That’s where QiGong’s breathing, movement and visualization comes in!

😊❤️🕉

Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

#BringBackPatanjali

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EH?

One of Sue’s favorite new TV shows is “Grown-ish”, a spinoff of “Blackish”. Skin color aside, I’ve discovered another reason I may be having trouble enlightening today’s youth: we don’t speak the same language!!

I watched an entire episode, after which I told Sue, “I have NO idea what they were talking about!”

One of my teachers believes that our species has literally evolved: that children born after 1990 have developed a new predisposition. Give a two year old a phone and watch what happens!!

Evolutionary time warp or not, we haven’t changed physiologically in thousands of years.

The holistic practice of Raja Yoga (meditation) is timeless.

 

It’s the oldest (read most time-tested!) form of self-care known to man – of any age!

Mind control or meditation hinges entirely upon a single principle: that consciousness is NOT a mental function!

 

Once that “clicks”, well……..you and your problems seem somehow lighter, certainly less stressful!

😊❤️🕉

Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

#BringBackPatanjali

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OPEN LETTER TO DAN HARRIS

Dear Dan,

Thank you. We need more well-informed, respected public figures advocating and promoting meditation. God bless you.

Please forgive my complete lack of humility, but if you’ll indulge me:

Only 10%? Keep practicing!!😊

The science of mind control or meditation is prehistoric.

Long before the advent of written language and modern religion, the original discipline was memorialized in an epic 200-line poem: Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

Patanjalian or Raja Yoga was developed in India at a time in human history when it was becoming apparent that sacrificing THINGS (God forbid live ones) only worked about 50% of the time.

Patanjali and his predecessors turned the practice of trying to influence that which can’t be influenced into a practice of trying to better understand and serve it. These ancient sages effectively reverse-engineered the human experience from our outer gross physical body to the essence of our being: consciousness…

…for the purpose of reducing human suffering FOR ALL MANKIND FOREVER.

 

Over the millennia, the practice of meditation (trying to tap into our divine essence) morphed into the modern practice of prayer.

That said, you are absolutely correct that meditation can be practiced in a entirely “secular” fashion….

…(i.e., without a sense of sacrifice and devotion to the Source) but that’s like walking along a beach on a beautiful day with a paper bag over your head!! Sorry – but how did none of those experts make this point?!

Here’s the “non-secular” science in a nutshell:

It’s based on Sankhya, the realization that consciousness (the awareness OF our thoughts) is not a mental function; rather, it’s as distinct from our mind and thoughts as our thoughts are from our bodies!

Consciousness alone in the entire universe is not subject to the vagaries of time and space (i.e., it’s the ONLY thing not subject to karma).

AND IT’S IN EACH OF US! Oooops, you can see how the “non-secular” aspect of the practice creeps in: life changes when we realize our own essentially divine nature.

Back to the “secular” science…

Humans exist in at least three distinguishable spatial dimensions: physical, mental and consciousness – the latter being the awareness OF the former.

Here’s the thing about consciousness that makes it unique in the universe: IT NEVER CHANGES – NEVER.

How do we know that something that’s literally intangible and never changes even exists?! And why should we care?!

Without consciousness we wouldn’t know we’re alive – let alone reading this!!

Try to imagine the nature of something that’s aware yet NEVER changes.

This aspect of OURSELVES – our intangible, essential awareness – has been described by people a lot smarter than me as eternally and infinitely compassionate and curious.

When we meditate we eventually settle through four energetically distinct states of mind before encountering our essence. The good news is there’s no wrong way to do it and the benefits are almost immediate and cumulative.

However if we practice with the original intent – as scripted by Patanjali to deepen our connection with the Source – THAT Sir, is an entirely different, much deeper, fulfilling, life-affirming and holistically healing experience.

Physiologically

Over time as we lovingly expose otherwise sub-conscious fears and desires to the light of our own self-compassion – those very tangible fears and desires dissipate, providing a physiological sense of lightness, relief and restoration lasting long after our time on the mat!

But to turbo-charge those physical and mental benefits – to experience something that will literally blow your tangible mind away – meditate with love, devotion and heartfelt gratitude as you ponder the nature of the Source of our very essence.

Thank you again for spreading the word – and your indulgence!

Blessings, Allan

 

Patanjali❤️😊🕉

https://www.rajamarblehead.com/2017/05/21/patanjalis-yoga-sutras-chapter-1-loosely-translated/

https://www.rajamarblehead.com/2017/05/21/patanjalis-yoga-sutras-chapter-2-loosely-translated/

Me

https://www.rajamarblehead.com/2018/01/06/battling-addiction-insights-60-year-old-addict/

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ISHVARA PRANIDHANA

According to SIVA REA:

“Many of us have only experienced surrendering to a higher source [Ishvara Pranidhana] as a last resort, when we’ve confronted seemingly insurmountable problems or in some other way hit the edge of our individual will and abilities.

But in the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali transforms “surrender” from this sort of last-resort, emergency response into an essential ongoing practice.

 

Patanjali repeatedly highlights Ishvara pranidhana as one of the five niyamas, or inner practices, of the ashta-anga (eight-limbed) path and, along with discipline (tapas) and self-study (svadhyaya), as part of kriya yoga, the threefold yoga of action.”

Source: yogajournal.com/yoga-101/the-practice-of-surrender

Patanjali: 

  • divine awareness eliminates desire;
  • self-control eliminates fear; 
  • self-awareness eliminates sorrow.

Sound familiar?

GOD GRANT ME THE:

  • SERENITY to accept the things I can not change;
  • COURAGE to change the things I can; and
  • WISDOM to know the difference.

😊❤️🕉

Tap into the power within. Meditate.

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

#BringBackPatanjali

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WANT TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

Learn the oldest form of Yoga for the oldest reason:

to REDUCE SUFFERING

find FAITH, SERENITY, COURAGE & WISDOM within yourself!

 _________

 HOW?

Consciousness 😊❤️🕉

WHY?

 Allan’s Why

WHAT?

 Patanjali’s Poem

 

Raja Yoga is the ancient science of mind control (aka meditation) a discipline that fosters faith in self, life and God.

The prehistoric practice was memorialized by Patanjali in a 200-line poem, the Yoga Sutras, a treasure map to nothing less than eternal bliss!

The allure and promise of Raja Yoga is that with constant practice you WILL smile (contentedly!) more often than you frown.

Meditation will take you to a place that transcends earthly experience – and THAT will change your life!!

 _________

Raja yogi’s tip o’ the day (says the Irishman in me): faith comes before enlightenment. I only say that because it took me 13 years to find faith that God exists – but I haven’t figured out to levitate yet!!

I can help you get there in less time; however,…

… YOU have to put in the time and effort. For better or worse, I can only guide you!

God bless, Allan

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

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WHAT DOES GOD LOOK LIKE?

BKS Iyengar (my teacher’s teacher’s teacher) said yoga isn’t a religion; it’s the study of religion.

Once you realize that your consciousness literally isn’t “of this earth” – after freaking out – you naturally want to understand the source of THAT part of you which Western science accepts but can’t explain!

I attended a Buddhist “Sangha” last night (a gathering of devotees to collectively meditate). I met some of the truly kindest people I’ve bumped into in awhile. It was a wonderfully inclusive, loving celebration of life. Thank you to the host and hostess if you’re reading this.

I’ve posted about similar experiences with my Pentecostal and Bhakti Yoga friends: participating in group practices that evoke a collective state of semi-conscious mind, harmoniously tuned with loving and common intent to “dance with God” in some fashion. More powerful than sex, drugs and alcohol says this 60 year old addict. 🙏

A quick Googlenet search for similar devotional group practices turned up these two links. The articles are rather long but tremendously insightful, providing glimpses into the Hindu practice of “Puja”, and the Buddhist practice of Sangha; the latter is authored by Thich Nhat Hanh. ❤️

Hindu Puja
Buddhist Sangha

I shudder to wonder what our lives might be like without the insights and life-long devotion of LIVING saints like Thich Nhat Hanh, the Dalai Lama, and Amma. Who am I missing?

Who are the other great living spiritual leaders who promote UNIVERSAL love: blind to race, status, sexuality and religion? 

Hoping the universal pendulum of Yin/Yang swings back towards the Light Side of the Force SOON!!

#BringBackPatanjali ❤️🕉
January meditation class schedule